Kolkata: The RG Kar Medical College rape case saw a day of significant action. The Supreme Court, which took suo moto cognizance of the matter, issued a 16-page order with several instructions to the West Bengal Government and other states regarding the safety and security of women and female doctors in institutions. Additionally, the Mamata Banerjee government removed police officers for failing to control vandalism at RG Kar Hospital and constituted a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to probe financial irregularities at the medical college hospital.
On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. As soon as the incident came to light, people took to the streets in anger.
However, the Kolkata Police and the Bengal government took only two initial actions in response to this heinous crime—arresting the accused, Sajoy Roy, and removing Principal Sandip Ghosh. But within 48 hours, Sandip Ghosh was posted to another hospital, which further angered the protesters. Protests spread across every district of Bengal and the country, with demands for the arrest of more accused individuals, as many believed that such a brutal murder could not have been committed by a single person.
The delay in actions and the spread of large-scale misinformation further fueled the anger of the protesters.
Every day, several pieces of fake information have been circulating. Today, a fake report suggesting that an investigating CBI officer wanted to be released from the probe due to severe pressure was debunked after fact-checking by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
The four-member SIT will be led by senior IPS officer Dr. Pranav Kumar. The SIT will investigate financial irregularities committed from 2021 to the present, a period during which ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh was in charge, and will submit its report within a month.
Following this order, the state government also suspended two senior police commissioners and one inspector of Kolkata Police for failing to control the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital on the night of August 14, when Reclaim the Night, a call by women protesters was given and it had witnessed the largest protest centres across Kolkata in recent times but some anti-social aliments attacked the protesters at RG Kar Hospital site.
It is also believed that there will soon be a departmental inquiry against the officers.
Meanwhile, during the suo moto hearing of the RG Kar Hospital incident today, the Supreme Court, while expressing disappointment over the systemic failure of the State of West Bengal in handling the vandalism at the protest site, directed the constitution of a National Task Force to suggest recommendations on the modalities to be followed to ensure the safety of medical professionals.
Additionally, the Apex Court directed the deployment of CISF personnel for the protection and safety of resident doctors (especially female doctors) at RG Kar Hospital. The court also asked the CBI to submit its report before the court on August 22.
